Prior to travelling to a new location, it is typical for a traveler to perform some research concerning the destination in advance. This research might target things such as local restaurants, lodging, and available activities. Frequently, the traveler does at least some research on how safe the area is. Depending on the distance from the traveler's home, different techniques might be utilized to acquire knowledge of the safety conditions at the destination. For a trip to a distant location, the traveler might read online or print travel guides, such as TripAdvisor, Frommer's, Rough Guides, etc. The traveler might also perform a cursory search of news sites or State Department advisories. For a trip to a location that is closer to home, the traveler might rely on so-called conventional wisdom or previously held assumptions (e.g., East Los Angeles is dangerous, the Upper East Side of Manhattan is safe). These techniques can be useful, but the resulting information is likely to be out of date and/or incomplete, which means that the traveler might be under prepared or unnecessarily over prepared for the actual conditions that exists at the destination.
It would be desirable to address these issues.